Does my husband have more love for the cat than me?

Dear Annie: My husband of four years insists on keeping a picture of his cat as the screensaver on his cellphone. Occasionally, he’ll switch it for a photo of one of his kids, but the cat always returns as “top dog.” It’s never a picture of me.

“Fluffy” also enjoys the top priority in other areas of our life. For instance, the day I had major surgery, my husband dropped me off at the front door of the hospital and then took Fluffy to the vet and spent the day with her. I am not ranting about some minor grievance. I was in surgery for seven hours, so this was serious.

The cat gets better treatment than I do and a lot more affection. If it weren’t for my allergies, Fluffy would be sleeping with us. Even so, I’ve awakened to find the cat’s rear end next to my face. I find this disgusting. I even have to wait to use the bathroom to get ready for work, because my husband and Fluffy are having “bonding time.”

I do not feel this is normal behaviour. I think it’s an unhealthy relationship with a pet. I have attempted to discuss this with my husband several times without success. He has had Fluffy for six years and obviously pre-

fers interacting with her to spending time with me. Why he needs a wife, I haven’t a clue. Any suggestions? — Fluffy’s Competition

Dear Competition: We agree that this seems to be an unusually close attachment. The screensaver is the least of your problems. The fact that your husband would rather console his cat while you are undergo- ing a seven-hour surgery indicates skewed priorities. And the “bonding time” in the bathroom is raising all kinds of questions. What, exactly, are they doing in there that you cannot use the room? In any event, your husband is more attached to Fluffy than he is to you and values her companionship more. This is unlikely to change.